260-acre wildfire burns in, near Dinosaur National Monument Monday

Crews are fighting a 260-acre wildfire burning in and near Dinosaur National Monument. It ignited Friday due to a lightning strike and flared up Sunday.

A wildfire that ignited Friday has burned about 260 acres of grass, sagebrush and timber near and on Dinosaur National Monument in northwest Colorado as of Monday evening, according to a press release from the monument.

Dubbed the Overlook Fire, it was caused by a lightning strike near the Canyon Overlook on Harpers Corner Road. The fire is burning on National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and private land.

No containment estimate is available at this time and no structures are threatened.

Seven engines and crews from NPS, BLM, Moffat County Sheriff's Office, Artesia Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service are fighting the fire along with two helicopters from the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control, the release said. Four single engine air tankers are aiding containment efforts.

The fire flared up on Sunday, but crews made progress on containment efforts on the west, south and east flanks of the fire, according to the release. The north side, which is burning in a steep, timbered canyon in the monument, is currently the most active area of the fire. Crews are continuing to work toward containment where they can safely do so.

The Canyon Visitor Center remains open as well as Harpers Corner Road, which is subject to closure if the fire moves to the west towards the road. Canyon Overlook is closed until further notice to support fire operations.

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The Quarry Visitor Center and Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall in Utah have not been affected by the fire, the release said, and remain open to the public.